Multiple completion of wells



July 31, 1962 w. M. oRElLLY MULTIPLE COMPLETION 0E WELLS Filed June s, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2.

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July 31, 1962 w. M. OREILLY MULTIPLE COMPLETION 0F wELLs 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed June 8. 1959 m. G. F

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lUnited States Patent Y 3,047,070 MULTIPLE COMPLETION F WELLS Wallace M. OReilly, Midland, Tex., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Jersey Production Research Company,

Tulsa, Okla., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 8, 1959, Ser. No. 818,738 5 Claims. (Cl. 166--114) The present invention is directed to multiple completion of wells. More particularly, the invention is concerned with completion of wells in a plurality of zones. In its more speciiic aspects, the invention has to do with apparatus for completion of wells in a plurality of zones.

The present invention may be briefly described as an apparatus for use in completion and workover of a well having its wall lined with a casing and perforated in a plurality of vertical spaced-apart zones. In the practice of the present invention, a problem exists where a plurality of tubing strings are employed to communicate with vertically spaced-apart zones in that the separate tubing strings tend tointerweave or corkscrew in the well and bind with each other with varying degrees of tightness. Where the wells are completed according to the permanent well completion technique where the tubing strings are arranged permanently in place, it is dicult to remove the tubing strings once they are placed inasmuch as the corkscrewing or interweaving results in the tubing strings being held tightly together since one of the tubing strings is usually in compression in order to seal an upper packer which is usually employed. In some instances each of several tubing strings may be set in compression to seat a plurality of individual packers. With at least one of the tubing strings in compression, it is sometimes diliicult, if not impossible, to remove the tubing Vstrings when occasion demands.

In accordance with the present invention, the problem caused by corkscrewing and interweaving where multiple tubing strings are employed is solved by a particular arrangement of apparatus which allows completion and workover of a well. In this particular arrangement, a packing means having a single bore is placed between a lower form-ation and another formation; and then spaced above the packing means, a dual bore packing means is placed. Thereafter, the two tubing strings in tension are vlowered either separately or together with their lower lends arranged above the packing means having the dual `bores. With both tubing strings in tension, it is then jpossible to move them vertically when such `becomes .desirable However, another problem exists in that it is necessary 'to communicate with the several bores of the vertically vspaced-apart packing means in order to obtain production from two or more hydrocarbon productive zones. :may be accomplished by bridging the space between one This .'of the bores of the upper packing means and the lower end of one of the tubing strings with a tubular conduit which is supported by its upper end in the lower end of the tubing strings and sealed therein with its lower end extending into and protruding from the particular bore of the packer and sealed in said bore such that fluid may pass upwardly through the tubular conduitl and to the tubing string for conductance into the wellhead.

The other tubing string also has a tubular conduit supported by its upper' end in the lower end thereof and sealed such as to prevent passage of fluid past the tubular conduit and this tubular conduit is of sufficient length such that it extends through the other bore of the packing means and into and through the single bore of the lower packing'means. Since the bores of the packing means -are provided with sealing means, a seal is provided which allows huid to be conducted from below the lower Packice 2 ing means through the tubular conduit and into the second tubing lfor ow to the wellhead.

This arrangement of apparatus also allows workover and servicing of the several zones penetrated by the Well and also allows separate andl simultaneous production from the several zones.

The invention will be further illustrated by reference to the drawing in which: n

FIG. 1 is asectional view illustrating a cased well in elevation perforated in a lower zone and having a packer set above the lower zone;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of perforations formed both in the lower zone and an upper zone with a second packer placed above the next highest zone;

FIG. 3 illustrates the running in of parallel eccentric tubings in tension and placement with their lower ends spaced vertically from the second packing means;

FIG. 4 is an illustration in section of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4 with tubular conduits for production separately and Isimultaneously from two zones penetrated by the well;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken through the upper packing means of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken through the lower packingmeans of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7'is an enlarged sectional View taken 'along the line 7-7 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of apparatus for workover of the lower zone of FIGS. l to 4;

FIG. 9 is a partial sectional view of apparatus arrangement for workover of the upper zone of FIGS 1 to 4;

FIG. l0 is an illustration of an embodiment in partial section of an apparatus arrangement for isolation of the two Zones;

FIG. 11 is a. fragmentary cross-sectional view of a modified lower packing means of FIG. l; and

FIG. l2 is a fragmenatry cross-sectional View of a modied upper packing means of FIG. 2 in which one of the bores of the upper packing means is larger than the other bore of the packing means.

Referring now to the drawing in which identical numerfals will be `employed to designate identical parts, numeral 11 .designates a well drilled from the earths surface, not shown, penetrating a plurality of hydrocarbon productive zones, sands, horizons, formations, strata, and the like, 12, 13, and 14. Arranged in the well 111 is a casing 15 which lines the wall of the well 1.1 and -is cemented in place with cement 16. The casing is perforated in zone 14 by running a easing gun a's may Ibe desired and operating sarne lto form perforations 17 inthe zone 14. After the perforations 17 have been formed, a wire-line operated packer 18 such as one described at page 561 of the Com- -posite Catalog of Oil Field and Pipe Line Equipment, 21st edition (1955-5 6), with a single bore 19 and further provided with sealing rings 20 is placed in -the casing just above zone "14. After the packer `18 has been placed, a suitable casing gun, not shown, may be run and operated to form perforations 21 in the zone 13 and thereafter a packer 22 may be placed in the casing 15 as shown. Alternatively and perhaps preferably, perforations 17 may be formed by using a through tubing gun after the tubing is set or in place in accordance with permanent well completion technique. 'Ih-is packer is provided with two parallel bores 23 and 24, the bore 24 Kbeing larger than the bore 23 [and the bores 23 and 24 being provided,

respectively, with sealing rings V25 Iand 26. The packer 22 may be a packer such as illustrated at page 849 of the Composite Catalog supra. n Parallel tubing strings 2S and 29 are then run in and placed in tension with their lower ends 30 and v31 spaced vertically above the packing means 22.`

aniram f t illarconduit 32 is lowered throughA the r{tilhyilg 28 andV irppoaed'ina landing nipple as provided in the lower end o f the tubing 2:8 and sealed in` the lower end of the tubing x28 by fa sealing means 34 such that fluid may not pass between the outside fof the 'tubrilar conduitv 32 and ftlefinner wallbf th'tubing 28. "The lower end' of the tubular-"conduit l32 is stabbed into thehore 23 of the acker 22 and is sealed thereinby sealing vmeans 25 thetu-hular conduit 32 extending into the space A between the packing'means 22'5`and 18 and allowing i In order to establish ycorrununication for separate and simultaneous production of uids from the zone 14, a 4sie ond tubular conduit 35 is lowered through the tubing string-'129 andl supported on lits upper end in the landing fnipple A36 and sealedv in the tubing stng29hyrsealing Yrrieaus -37- T11@ tubular lsuufluit 35 vattends through the bere 24 of the pagcker zz Aand, ,its ylower Send 381s stabbed Linto the -bore .19 of the packer V18,. L Y YAs shown fnore clearly in FIGS. ,6 and 7, the packer bores`f23 and 24 ofthe packer 22; this is shown most clearly hyreference 'to FIG. 6. In other words, the congttration of the lower end 3S yof the tubular conduit 35 is such that it will not enter the bore 23v but will pass fthnqugh bore'Zgl' and -conform in configuration to the bore 1'9 for passageltherethrough. The -bores 23 and 2'4 of -the packer 22 are sized differ- 'ently'and the configuration of the bore 19 of the packer `18 is different from the configuration of the boresof the yiirs't' packing means Ybut is sized such that the tubular conduit35 pass through one of the bores of the packingmeans 22 but will not pass throughv other of the orespf the packer 22 yand will enter the bore 19 of the packer 18.

FIG. 8, a workover `operation of -the lower zone, will .now be described and in lthis embodiment the tubular conduit such as 32 remain in place in the tubing vs-tring 2 8 while the vtubular yconduit 35 will 'be suitably replaced It may be desirable rather than having different cong'urations for-l the bores ofthe packer as yshovi/n'in FIGS.-

1-10 to have all the bores of the packers of cylindrical shape, and reference to FIGS. 11 and 12 shows that the in that the problem of binding of tubing strings resulting Y l communication with the' tubing 28 through the tubular '32 with .the perforations 2,1.

modied bore '19a of packer 13 is smaller in size than the bore 24 of l2 while the bore 23 is stillsnialler Iin size than the bore I19a, thus allowing a tubular" conduit of .a size 'cot .the'bore '19a to be placed thruugh the bores 24 and '19a,` butthis tubular conduitf'may not enter thebore23. 'I'he present invention is quite advantageous and useful ufrom interweaving or corkscrewing is solved and it is yet possible to move the tubing strings such las' 2.8'and" asdesired for workover operations and, fact, -tli'e g tubing strings may be Vremoved as shown in FLG. -liYWlthfout contaminating the zones 13 and 14 b y Yp lfacirig plugs such as 45, 46 and 46a in the bores 19, 24 and 239i the packers 22 V'and 18,' respectively.V Ihis allowsfthetubf ings 28 and 29 to be rep'airedin case of lealcagedueto corrosion or at the threads. l

The several showings and the drawing are schematic audit will -be understood that the usual pipe conne ons This-is likewise truefor theitubings 1`,1d`29."1

VBy loweringtubular conduits suchas 32,35, 40 and 3221,V it is unnecessary to align the packers 22 and 1 8v and joiningy the several sectionsfof the asingstar ,pin ted. t

t Y ,A 1, tubing strings 28 and 29.in'that,'by virtue of the size or 1 8 ga'bore 19 of a vcortiiguranondifferent from the .by a modified tubular conduit 40 which is 'similar to the Y t ,tubula-r'conduit SSeXcepting that i-t is formed to provide as by injecting cement or a -well .treating fluid such as a Y ,surface-activeag'ent, an acid, o r the like, the yfluid may 1be towed downwardly through the tubing 29 and through the*tubular conduit 46 .and thence through' the concenf v4-1`to the Zone 1 4 `through `the perforations 17 with :the ldisplaced fluid tlow *beingnthrough `the annular passageway 42 out through port 43 and upwardly through :the annular space 49 ofthe wellbore casing.

V-Wh'en it isl desired to workoverthe zone 13, the tubu- -lar conduit v32 remains in place yand yanother ytubular con- .duit 32a, which may be identica-l except for the diameter thereof .to .the tubular conduit 32, is -run into the tubi-ng string 2 9 Iand vsupponte'd .on `the landing nipplet36 and sealed therein vwith the sealing means 37a. It is then ,possible ywith this arrangement of apparatus to circulate therein through the tubing 29 yand @through ,the tubular-:conduit 32a into Ithe space A and upwardly through .tubular conduit'32 tothe Wellhead through tubing v28. O f course, in this embodiment, after removal Vofthe tubular conduit 40, a plug means such as 45 Awould be lowered tln'ouglgl the bore24 of the packing Ameans 22V and Aseated inthe bore 19 of the packer 118 toisolate the lower zone 14 from the space A.

configuration of the bores of th packers land .thesi'zeand congurationo'f the tubular conduits, it isnot diHc t ,to llt.

position a particular tubular conduit lin the lio lh whichA it is designed to nt. This maybe accomplished by lowering the tubular conduit which is `hangingfbyV a wireline `and 'which allows it'to rotate untiltheftubular conduit ts into the bore into which it is designed tent. It is not [difficult lto stab a tubular :member into a bore since all vthat is necessary is to rotate the tubular member until tsninto Vthe tubular configuration whichmis -designed to' accommodate it."

A plug member such as 45, 46 or 46 a is to the special wire line lplug for packers described inerial No. 769,343, lnow patent '2,966Q946, led lOctober 214i, 195,8, which discloses rneans to isolate a lower zone in a wellbo're during'operations tp service or `workoverV ,the upper zone which above a separation packer in the casing;

In all ligures of the drawing, `it will be apparent that the upper ends of the tubular members 32, 3.5, 4,0 Y

32a, as well as the upper ends ofthe plug` members 46 and 46a, terminate in the well above the upper packer 22. Y Y

` Ihe nature and objects ofthe present invention having been completely described and illustrated, what I to claim as new and useful and secure by Letters -Batent is: Y

1 Apparatus for use in completion and workover ofra well having a casing arranged therein and perforated in ,a Vplurality of vertically spacedfapart zones which comprises two eccentrically varranged substantially paralleltubing snings suspended in tensionV throughout ,their lengths in said casing Awith their'lower endsabcve saidV pluralityuf Zones, a first Packing' means having ,fwd Paral- ,lel ,bores arranged in said casing and spaced'vertically .below the louer ends of said tubing strings aud-sbav@ au upper of said gonss,y a second Packing means Vhsufiug a `.Siu-g1g bore and arranged in said vcasing spaced vertical-1y below the rstpacking means and` below the upper and .above a lower of said zones, a first tubular Vconduit supported by its upper end the llowerend ottone of said tubing strings 'and provided :with means for sealing .with ,the inner wall o f Isaid 'one of said Vtubing strings of a length jsucisut .to .extend info and through 011e uf the bores of s aid first packing means, a 4second ltubular con- ,duit supported byritsrupper endl in the lower end of Ythe uother of Vsaid tubing strings yand provided with means yfor sealing dwith the inner @wall of Isaid other Vof said tubing strings and of a length suilicient to extend into and through the other of the bores of the first packing means and through the bore of the second packing means, and means carried in the bores of said rst and second packing means for sealing-With the outer walls of said tubular conduit.

2. Apparatus vfor use in completion and workover of a well having a casing arranged therein and perforated in a plurality of vertically spaced-apart zones which comprises two eccentrically arranged substantially parallel tubing strings suspended in tension throughout their lengths in said casing with their lower ends above said plurality of zones, a iirst packing means having two parallel bores arranged in said casing and spaced vertically Ibelow the lower ends of said tubing strings and Iabove an upper of said zones, said bores being sized diierently, a second packing means having a single bore of a configuration dierent from the configuration of the hores of the lirst packing me ns and arranged in said casing spaced vertically below the hrst packing means and below the upper and above a lower of said zones, a iirst 4tubular conduit supported by its upper end in the lower end of one of lsaid tubing strings and provided with means for sealing with the inner wall of said one of said tubing strings of a length sulicient to extend into and through one of the bores of said lirst packing means, a second tubular conduit supported by its upper end in the lower end of .the other of said tubing strings and provided with means -for sealing with the inner wall of said other of said tubing strings and of a length sutcient to extend into and through the other of the `bores of the first packing means and through the bore of the second packing means, the lower end of the second tubular conduit having a diameter and a coniguration conforming to that of the bore of the second packing means such that it will enter and pass through only one of the bores of the first packing means and will enter the bore of the second packing means, and means carried in the bores of said rst and second packing means for sealing with the outer walls of said tubular conduits.

3. Apparatus for use in completion and workover of Ia well having a casing arranged therein and perforated in a plurality of vertically spaced apart zones which comprises two eccentrically arranged substantially parallel tubing strings suspended in tension throughout their lengths in said casing with their lower ends above said plurality of zones, la rst packing means having two parallel bores arranged .in said casing and spaced vertically below the lower ends of said tubing strings and above an upper of said zones, the Ibores of said rst packing means being of different size, -a second packing means having a single bore of a size no greater than that of the larger of the bores of said lirst packing means, and arranged in said casing spaced vertically below the iirst packing means and ibelow the upper and above a lower of said zones, a iirst tubular conduit supported by its upper end in the lower end of one of said tubing strings and provided with means for sealing with the inner wall of said one of said tubing strings of a length suicient to extend into and through the smaller of the bores of said rst packing means, a second tubular conduit supported by its upper end in the lower end of. the otherof said tubing strings and provided with means `tor sealing with the inner wall of said other of said tubing strings and of a length sucient to extend into and through the larger of the bores of the iirst packing means and through the boreof the second packing means, the diameter of said second tubular conduit being suiliciently large to pass only through the larger of the bores of said first packing means and through the bore of the second packing means, and means carried in the bores of said rst and second packing means for sealing with the outer walls of said tubular conduits.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which the single bore of the second packing means is of a size the same as .that of the larger of the bores of the rst packing means.

5. Apparatus for use in completion and workover of a well having 'a casing arranged therein and perforated in a plurality of vertically spaced-apart zones which comprises two eccentrically arranged substantially parallel tubing strings suspended in tension throughout their lengths in said casing `with their lower ends above said plurality of zones, a rst packing means having two parallel bores arranged in said casing and spaced vertically below the lower ends of said tubing strings and above an upper of said zones, a second packing means having a single bore and arranged in said casing spaced vertically below the first packing means and below the upper and above a lower of said zones, a `first tubular conduit supported by its upper end in the lower end of one of said tubing strings and provided with means yfor sealing with the inner wall of Isaid one of said tubing strings of a length suicient to extend into and through one of the bores of said lirst packing means, a second tubular conduit supported lby its upper end in the lower end of the other of said tubing strings and provided with means for sealing with the inner wall of said other of said tubing strings and of a length sucient to extend into and through the other of the bores of the rst packing means and through the bore of the second packing means, the lower -section of said second tubular conduit theing formed with a concentric inner tube providing an annular passage uidly communicating with the space Vin the wellbore above the rst packing means by a por-t in the outer wall of -said second .tubular conduit, and means carried in the bores of said rst and second packing means for sealing with the outer walls of said tubular conduits.

ReferencesY Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,822,048 Tausch Feb. 4, 1958 2,847,072 Lebourg Aug. l2, 1958 2,906,345 Tausch Sept. 29, 1959 2,976,934 Todee Mar. 28, 1961 

